Accused murderer Dinush Kurera’s messages to wife shown to jury

A husband allegedly delivered an ominous threat to his wife and mother-of-three, months before breaking into their Sandhurst home and hacking her to death with a kitchen knife and hatchet.

Dinush Kurera is standing trial for the murder of his ex-partner, Nelomie Perera, who was found dead in her Sandhurst home on December 3, 2022.

A Melbourne husband allegedly abused his estranged wife and warned her “we will see what going to happened (sic)” months before he brutally killed her.

Dinush Kurera, 47, is accused of hacking his former partner Nelomie Perera, 43, to death with a hatchet and kitchen knife after breaking into their home in Sandhurst in Melbourne’s southeast.

Dinush Kurera entering the Supreme Court of Victoria. Picture: David Crosling

Prosecutors allege Mr Kurera murdered the mother-of-three in a “sustained, brutal and vicious attack” which took place in front of their children after she told him she wanted to end their marriage and sell their home because he had been cheating on her.

Now in the second week of Mr Kurera’s Supreme Court trial, Facebook messages of the couple arguing in the months before Ms Perera’s death were shown to the jury on Monday.

“F —k off bitch,” one message from Mr Kurera to his wife said.

“We will see what going to happened (sic).”

A recorded phone call was also played to the court, in which Ms Perera told her husband that they could remain friends.

“I do not need friends, if I do not have my wife,” he replied.

Ms Perera went on to say he was keeping a “friend” while he had a wife.

“That foolish whore cannot be my wife during my lifetime,” he replied.

“Until death you are my wife. I do not need any other f —king woman. I married only one.”

On the first day of the trial, Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson KC told the jury Mr Kurera was fuelled by a “deep-seated hatred” when he killed his wife.

The court heard Mr Kurera had been having an affair with another woman in Sri Lanka when he flew back to Melbourne in December 2022.

Two days after his return, Mr Kurera allegedly broke into the couple’s Wodalla Circuit property via a back fence and attacked his wife with a hatchet.

The court heard Ms Perera suffered 35 separate injuries from a hatchet and kitchen knife during the alleged attack.

But Mr Kurera, who the jury was told did not suffer any injuries, claims he acted in self-defence after his wife came at him with a knife.

“He grappled with her over the knife, in her murderous rage and he defended himself and the deceased was killed,” his defence barrister John Desmond said.

“Rage met rage.”

He also denies attacking his teenage son with the hatchet after he allegedly tried to escape.

The trial continues.